The Ultimate Weeds Quiz

No, not
the Showtime series with Mary-Louise Parker. We're talking about plant pests
-- those infuriating, impossible-to-kill green monsters that gardeners spend
their lives trying to destroy. But did you know that some weeds can actually
be good? Take our quiz and find out why you might not want to nuke that patch
of dandelions just yet.

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Question 1 of 10

What is herbicide?

a substance that kills plants

Herbicides are anything that kills plants -- they can be natural or chemical.

the mass extermination of a huge patch of weeds

a natural way to control weeds

Question 2 of 10

What's an example of an organic herbicide?

lemon juice

vinegar

The acetic acid in vinegar makes it a useful herbicide -- but you have to use it carefully to avoid harming your plants.

olive oil

Question 3 of 10

What is allelopathy?

when a plant can chemically prevent other plants from growing and reproducing

Some plants, like walnut trees, produce natural herbicides so other plants can't grow up around them.

a gene mutation in a weed that makes it extremely difficult to kill

a weed's ability to reproduce very quickly and easily

Question 4 of 10

The French word for dandelion is "pissenlit," which means what?

"heavenly yellow"

"beautiful star"

"piss in bed"

Dandelions supposedly have diuretic qualities, hence the charming French name. Strangely, the English word "dandelion" is derived from the French phrase "dente de lion" (lion's tooth).

Question 5 of 10

You can make tea from dandelions. What else can you make?

beer

jewelry

wine

If you have some extra time (and some raisins, oranges, lemons and yeast) you can make dandelion wine. You also might be able to earn a pretty penny if you package dandelion leaves as organic field greens.

Question 6 of 10

What's the best time to pull weeds?

when the soil is completely dry

a day or two after it rains

It's best to deal with weeds when the soil is a little moist -- not too wet, not too dry.

right after a good rain

Question 7 of 10

After you've pulled up weeds, what should you do with them?

Lay them on top of the grass to dry out and completely die.

Add them to a compost pile, if you have one.

Throw them in the trash.

Weeds can be added to a compost pile or left to dry out, but if conditions aren't exactly right, the seeds might not die. So it's often best to put them in the trash instead.

Question 8 of 10

How should you plant your garden in order to deter weeds from popping up?

Plant everything as close together as possible.

If your plants are close enough that their leaves touch and overlap, weeds won't get as much sunlight.

Space out plants as much as possible.

Do not plant in an area where there has been a weed problem.

Question 9 of 10

Which weed is known as "the vine that ate the South"?

creeping Charlie

wisteria

kudzu

Kudzu is a Japanese plant that was introduced into the United States in 1876. People started planting it because it helps with soil erosion, but it grew out of control in the Southeast because of the region's mild climate. It was officially classified as a weed in 1953.

Question 10 of 10

What is soil solarization?

a method of planting in direct sunlight that discourages weeds from reproducing

the reason that there are no weeds in the desert

a method of using solar power to kill weeds

Soil solarization is a very labor-intensive way to totally destroy the weeds in an area. It involves tilling, digging and "cooking" weeds under plastic in direct sunlight.